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Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Folk Festival 2

Willkommen!

Welcome back to our
Goschenhoppen experience. When we left off yesterday, we were just eating
breakfast. A split fastnacht drizzled with molasses. [Note: To the PA German folk in the Goschenhoppen region fastnachts
were not coated in sugar (powdered or granulated) or icing or chocolate and they
were not filled. They were plain and drizzled with molasses, Turkey Syrup, or
table syrup (not maple syrup).]

Picking up the story after
breakfast...

What cute duckling! So
Fluffy!

(laughing) And they peep
instead of quack.

Games!

Yes. These are the toys
and games kids would have played when their schoolwork and chores were
finished. Let’s see…the one right next to you looks like a ring toss or maybe a
version of quoits (pronounced kway-ts). Then clothespin drop, nine pin, tops, cup
& ball, and cob toss.

Wait…what? How are these
games played?

Well, quoits…it’s kind of
like horsehoes. There is a pin at one end and the players stand a certain distance
away and throw their circle toward the pin. Points are awarded by how close the
ring gets to the pin.

What about nine pins?

Oh, that’s a fun one…it
can be played on a table or on the ground…it’s an early form of bowling.

Neat! I like bowling. And
you don’t have to explain the clothespin drop. That’s an easy one. Did you say
those are tops?

Yes,
you hold the top in your hand in a way that you still have a hold of the ribbon
then you flick it out from you. The ribbon gives it more spin.

I understand the cup &
ball, but what’s with the feathered corn cobs?

This is a popular toy. Once
the corn is harvested and shelled for feed, the cobs are used for different
things. If you stuck 1 or more feathers in one end and tossed it in the air, it
spins on the way down.

Cool! Now what’s this pretty
hoop used for?

That’s
a graces hoop. It’s a two (or more) person game…one girls were encouraged to
play and boys not so much. Each player would get two, pointed sticks they would
use the sticks to toss the hoop in the air to each other and to catch it. This looks like a big hoop.

What other toys are there?

Follow me!

Let’s
make a Corn Husk Doll

A
what?

A
corn husk doll. After the corn was shucked the husks and silk remained. Some
was collected to make dolls. You soak the husks so they are pliable. Take a
handful of silk and put it in the center of 6 husk leaves. Tie the end tightly
with string. Hold the tied end in your hand and gently peel the leaves down.
Tie the leaves about 1 inch below the hair. You know have head and body. Take
another husk and flatten it, then roll it into a cylinder. Tie at both ends.
Place horizontally under leaves just under the neck. Then tie a piece of string
around the waist. Voila! A doll.

Where did they learn about
these?

Their Native American neighbors.

Was that the only kind of
doll? What happens when it isn't corn season?

Ah…the
Tow Doll.

A what?

A
tow doll. Girls would gather scraps of fabric and sew the sides together. Then they’d stuff the doll with this stuff…tow…

and finish
sewing it shut and tie on arms. Yours looks nice.

Thank you. But wasn’t there
anything else.

Sorry.
No Pleasant Company or American Girl in those days. These are the first American dolls.